


Aftermath

by lilucath



Category: The Shannara Chronicles (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6180736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilucath/pseuds/lilucath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eretria couldn't stand it any longer. A wave of anger washed over her. Before she could stop herself, her hands shot out and she grabbed the boy by his collar. She pulled him dangerously close to her face and hissed: “Wil. Where is Amberle?”</p><p>Set after 1x10</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This is my try in fixing everything that went to terrible wrong in the finale.

“It's you.”

Her words were still resounding in her head as she had stared into his eyes as he had removed his mask. Cephalo stood in front of her, dressed in troll clothes, his usual grin exposing this yellow teeth.

“How? You died..”

“Oh sweetheart, it takes more than a few bullets to kill me.”

Then a troll had handed him her knife and groaned something about she had killed ten trolls before they had been able to take her.

The smirk that had appeared on her face fell as she heard what Cephalo said next. “Lock her up. And make sure she has a few bruises to remember her actions by.” The former rover, now apparently troll leader, had turned around, her knife still in his hand and left her with a few trolls. They had beaten her senseless and she had woken up in a dark room some time later. Through the small gap between the door and the floor the flickering light of a fire felt into the room. Both of her eyes were swollen shut, making it almost impossible for her to see anything properly. All she could see was that the room was empty except for an old chair standing in one corner of the room.  
She tried to move but every bone in her body ached. The trolls had probably cracked a few of her rips causing a jolt of pain to run through her body with every breath. She could feel that her lip had been split open and her skin was covered in cuts and bruises.

As she was laying on the cold floor, her body hurting, she allowed her mind to wander back to the events of the day. The hole in her hand where the needle had been stuck through was still hurting the most. It wasn't only hurting because of the flesh wound. It hurt because it was a reminder of Amberle and Wil. Of course it had been her choice to crawl back through the gate and destroy the chain. Allowing them to get away. But she cursed herself for doing the noble thing for once. There was nothing she would rather do than be with them again. To see Wil's goofy smile and Amberle's smile that always managed to make butterflies erupt in her stomach. She didn't regret that she didn't kiss Amberle. The sad eyes of the girl watching her through the gate had melted the entire courage she had gathered from closing the gate between them. If she had kissed her she would have been able to let the girl go. But she knew she had to keep fighting to keep the Amberle and Wil safe. She had decided that she would kiss her once this entire mess with the Ellcrys and the demons was over. That was her reason to keep fighting.

 

She woke from a a restless sleep a few hours later, her bones now aching even more, but her eyes had started to feel less swollen and she could see that someone had placed some bread and water on the chair in one corner of the room. She wasn't able to stand up. Instead she crawled incredibly slowly towards the chair.

As the cold water was running down her throat, she immediately felt better, but the stone-hard bread was too painful for her bruised jaw, so she was more sucking on the bread than actually chewing it.

 

Approximately two days went by during which she always found food and water in her room at some point. Somehow she was always sleeping when they brought it. After the second day she was able to stand up again and she could work on an escape plan.

Her intention was to wait until someone came in again, hit them with the chair and then just make a run for it. But she somehow fell asleep again, only to wake up to a door that wasn't entirely closed. Her own knife laying in between the door and the frame keeping it from falling shut. As she looked in the empty hallway, she sent a silent thank you to Cephalo, because she was sure no one else would or could have done this for her and hurried quietly along the dark tunnels.

 

Eretria didn't exactly know how she made it out of there without running into a single troll, but once she had reached the edge of the woods, it didn't matter anymore. The only thought on her mind was to get back to Arborlon to reunite with Wil and Amberle.

She was already a few miles into the forest as the sound of a horse coming closer caused her to slower her steps. As the horse and it's rider came in sight and she recognized them, a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

“Wil!”, she called out, startling the blonde boy.

But as he recognized her, his face seemed to brighten up and he jumped off his horse as soon as it came to a stand next to her, only to throw himself into her arms.

“Eretria.” The relief in his voice was clearly noticeable.

Both of their legs gave up underneath them and they sunk to the ground, never allowing their hug to break. Eretria could hear that he had started to cry and hot tears were wetting her neck.

Meeting Wil here, showed that he had kept his promise, but he had said that they would come back for her and Amberle was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is she?” She could feel how he stiffened as she spoke these words. The boy slowly loosened his grip around her and looked at her. This eyes were red from crying and looked so broken, that her fear was only growing.

Wil didn't seem to know how to answer, so she repeated her question. “Where is Amberle?”

“She... She...” His words were interrupted by his own gasps for air.

Eretria couldn't stand it any longer. A wave of anger washed over her. Before she could stop herself, her hands shot out and she grabbed the boy by his collar. She pulled him dangerously close to her face and hissed: “Wil. Where is Amberle?”

This seemed to pull Wil out of this panic attack and he managed to press out a few words. “She went into the tree and didn't come out again.”

Her mouth fell open of shock and the sting in her heart started to grow. “What?”

“She was the seed.”

The chaotic thoughts flying around in her brain were then slowly starting to sort themselves. “She is the Ellcrys.” It wasn't a question.

Wil only nodded, and suddenly everything in her went numb. She couldn't feel her bruises and cuts anymore, her heart no longer ached. There was just this all-swallowing gray. No more tears, no more pain. Just this silencing overwhelming numb gray that threatened to crush her heart and made it hard for her to breathe.

 

She didn't remember how long they sat on the floor that day. It took Wil a while to calm down while she just stared into the woods. The world around her had started to loose its color. The green of the trees had started to fade into gray, just like the blue of the sky. It was as if Amberle had taken all the color's with her as she turned into the tree and left Eretria in this lifeless looking world.

“Do you want to go back?” Wil's voice ripped through her thoughts. She had completely forgotten that the boy was still next to her. Amberle's absence was too overwhelming for her to notice anything else.

Eretria didn't manage to answer him. Instead she climbed up on his horse and gestured for him to do the same.

 

They rode in silence until night had started to fall. Eretria led them to a small steam allowing the horse to drink.

As both of them sat next to each other leaning against a big rock that shielded them from being seen, Wil spoke the first words that had been exchanged between them ever since their reunion a few hours ago.

“Allanon said, she would talk. When she is ready.”

Eretria looked at him and could see that his eyes had already started to tear up again, but she still didn't manage to say something. Instead she took his hand in hers and squeezed it slightly.

 

A heavy weight pushing down on her left side told her that Wil had fallen asleep and was now leaning against her. Their hands were still linked, she had been too afraid to break their touch in fear that one of them could break down again.

Eretria desperately wished for herself to follow the boy into the land of dreams, where maybe Amberle wasn't as far away as she was in this world. But instead of being able to escape, the dreadful Amberle-less-world kept her prisoner.

She spent the entire night listening to the gurgling of the stream, the snoring of the boy next to her and the occasional huffs from the horse, surrounded by pitch black darkness.

 

They rode the entire next day, no one dared to say a word and their silence started to feel heavy on Eretria's shoulders. How she longed for Amberle's voice to be carried to her ears again, to hear her laughter again. Hell she even wouldn't mind being yelled at again. Just knowing that she is not gone, that was all she wanted.

 

The closer they got to the palace the more the woods around them still looked like a battle field. The splintered bark on the trees showed were a sword or spear had meet with the plant exposing the white wood underneath. Bloodstains were still visible as bright red splatters on green leaves or as dark spots on the ground.

 

The number of guards that guarded the entrance to the palace was significantly smaller than the time that Eretria had been scouting the palace to find a good way to break in and steal the elfstones from the halfelf.

 

As they came to a stop in front of the gate, one guard offered to lead them to the king, another one left to bring their horse to the stables.

 

King Ander was in his throne room, surrounded by a few gnomes and elves. They seemed to be talking about how to forge an alliance about all the races in the Four lands and how to build up the villages that had been destroyed by the demons.

When Ander noticed them, he excused the rest of the people in the room leaving the three of them alone in the room. Eretria didn't dare to move was he walked up to them.

“Thank you.”

This was the last thing she had expected to hear from the king. Their first meeting had started by her kicking the crap out of him, and she had left the palace she had been a prisoner.

Her confusion must have showed on her face, because Ander offered her a sad smile, that didn't reach his eyes. The same smile that Wil was wearing.

 

“Thank you for keeping Amberle.. safe. I heard what you did for her and Wil during your journey. Wil told me that they wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you.”

He held out his hand and she managed to take it, Her fingers closed around his wrist as his fingers did the same around hers.

“You can stay here in the palace as long as you want Eretria. Same goes for you, Wil. You saved the Four Lands. The least I can do is offer you a place to stay.”

He then let go of her hand.

“Thank you, your majesty.” Wil slowly bowed his head and Eretria did the same.

A low voice reached her ears and it took her a while to realize it was her own.

“Can I see her?”

The expression on King Ander's face immediately darkened, but he quickly answered. “ Of course.”

 

Ander ordered a servant to lead her to the sanctuary. She left Wil and the King in the room as she followed the girl through the corridors of the palace and through the woods towards the sanctuary.

 

The tall, dark door was opened for and the Ellcrys came into sight. The huge tree no longer almost bald, no more red spots. Instead it stood in the middle of the room, towering towards the sky, its branches now covered in orange glowing leaves.

She then noticed that Allanon was sitting cross-legged on the platform at the foot of the tree, his hands neatly folded in his lap and his eyes closed.

As she stepped closer and her footsteps echoed through the room he opened his eyes and stood up from the ground.

“Eretria. I am glad that you are alive.”

She was now standing a few feet away from the tree, but her legs were too weak to carry her any further.

Allanon had walked towards her and as his hand sank down her shoulder she noticed that she had started to cry. Her cheeks were already wet from hot tears rolling down her face, falling down onto the floor.

“Amberle's sacrified saved us all.” His voice was deep and sad and somehow seemed to melt away the rest of her strength.

Her knees gave up underneath her and she collapsed onto the cold floor.

 

The next thing she noticed was that she was too hot and everything around her was too soft. Her eyes were blinded by the light that fell into the room through a window and she could see that apparently somehow had carried her back to the palace and put her in a bed with way too may furs. As she removed a few she noticed that she wasn't wearing her leather outfit anymore. Instead she wore a light shirt and some shorts. She could see that someone had started to clean her wounds and bandaged a few of them, but she still couldn't feel any pain that should radiate from them. All she could feel was that her eyes were puffy from crying and this weight that still pressed on her heart, making it hard to breathe.

She sat up and leaned herself against the pillows and stared at the wall across from her as a blonde servant stepped into the room. She remembered her name to be something like Catania. She carried a tray with some fruits, bread and water on it and her eyes were probably as puffy as Eretria's. The girl gestured towards a spot on the bed next to her.

“May I?”

“Sure.” Eretria scooched over, giving her a bit more space and Catania sat down next to her as she placed the tray on Eretria's lap.

Seeing the foot in front of her reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything in probably two days, but she still didn't feel hungry.

“You have been out since yesterday. And you should try and eat something... Amberle.. She would have wanted for us to go on.” The girl looked at her so broken like everyone else did at the mentioning of Amberle's name.

Knowing that the blonde was right about Amberle she picked up a piece of bread and started to chew on it very slowly.

 

The two of them sat in silence until Eretria asked Catania to lead her to the sanctuary again. She still wasn't sure if she would manage to not collapse this time, but everything in her screamed Amberle's name and she wanted nothing more than to be close to her. If that meant she had to face the tree again that had taken Amberle from her, then she wanted to see it again.

Allanon was sitting in the same pose on the platform again, just like the day before. And when she stepped closer the druid got up again, allowing her to stand on the podium.

Allanon and Catania were now standing a few feet behind her and she could feel their eyes burning holes in her back., probably waiting for her to break down again.

But this time she felt slightly stronger.

Slowly she reached out and placed her hand on the tree. As soon as her fingers touched the bark she could feel a pulsation under her fingers. It was as if a lightning was being shoot through her veins and her head was thrown back in her neck. Her mind was flooded with memories of Amberle, of their first meeting in the middle of the woods, of their bath at Pykon, of them trying to fight the elfhunters, of them standing in the middle of a room full of dancing humans in Utopia, of the warmth of her hug as she had stepped out of the bloodfire. And then suddenly the flood of pictures stopped and she could see Amberle. It wasn't a memory. The girl was standing directly in front of her, dressed in her dark red leather clothes, on hand on her sword. A smile played around her lips and she lifted her hand. The moment that Amberle's hand cupped her cheek she could feel the fire, that had died inside her as she had heard that Amberle had been turned into a tree, ignite again. It was burning stronger than even before and then suddenly a voice was being carry to her ears. It sounded like it came from a place so far away and yet so close that she could swear she could feel the word being breathed into her ear. _Eretria._ Her world had been gray for the last few days, suddenly got back its color. Her mind was spinning and she could feel herself loose consciousness.

As she felt how her body hit the ground, her hand lost the touch of the bark, but Amberle's presence was still clouding everything. The last thing she could hear before she fainted was the sound of something metal falling onto the cold ground.

 

When she woke up a few moments later, her head was laying on someone's lap. The bright sun falling through the orange leaves caused her to squint a few times, but soon she realized that her head was laying on Catania's legs. The girl looked at her with a worry in her eyes that Eretria only knew from Amberle and Wil's expressions.

As she sat up, she saw stars and her head started to pulsate painfully from where it had hit the floor.

Just in that moment Allanon stepped around the big root that separated them from the door that lead into the Ellcrys. He held something flat and long in his hands and as he came closer she recognized it as a sword. Amberle's sword to be exact.

She jumped up on her feet a bit too quickly so that she threatened to collapse again, but somehow she pushed her body towards the druid. Her hands stopped just a few inches away from the sword, because she didn't dare to touch it.

The expression on Allanon's face that was usually so painfully twisted was now slightly brighter. “I believe Amberle wanted to let us know that she is ready to talk and still here.”

Eretria let her glance travel from the sword back to the tree. She hurried closer to the stem and touched the bark again. This time she had no visions, but a warm feeling radiated from the wood and she could feel the tree pulsating underneath her fingers. Her voice was barely a whisper and threatened to give up at any moment. “Amberle. I hope you can hear me. I am not gonna leave you okay. I'm here.”

As if the wind had been listening to her, the leaves over her head started to rustle and carried Amberle's voice to her ear. _Eretria._

 

Someone ran into the room a few minutes later after Catania and Allanon had left the sanctuary to inform the others that Amberle had spoken, Eretria was leaning against the tree. Her eyes were closed and she could fell Amberle's presence in ever bone.

“Allanon said that her sword appeared in front of the door.” Wil's voice cut through the air and ripped her away from her thoughts.

“Yes. I touched the tree and I could feel her, Wil. It was as if she was directly next to me. Then I lost consciousness and apparently then the sword appeared.”

With gently steps the halfelf came closer and put his hand on the bark. Eretria couldn't place his expression. “Can you feel her?”

“No.” A dark shadow fell over his face and suddenly an idea formed in her head. She walked closer towards him and placed her hand over his. His head was thrown back just like hers before, but fell to his knees. Wil's hand lost contact with the tree and her own hand as he sunk to the ground. She quickly followed him and looked at him full of worry.

Eretria could hear the boy breath in sharp and it took him a few more seconds to meet her eyes.

“Amberle.” Tears started to form in his eyes, but he didn't look sad anymore. “She is okay.”

Eretria let out a relieved sign.

“I need to leave.” Wil sounded determined and his face said the same. The tears had disappeared from the corner of his eyes and his jaw was clenched.

“What?”, was all she managed to press out.

“Amberle. She told me to go to Storlock, to become a healer.” The boy didn't gave Eretria the chance to answer, instead he placed his hand on the Ellcrys again. “Thank you Amberle. I will come back. I promise.”

He then ran out of the room, leaving Eretria alone with her spinning thoughts.

“Why did you tell him to go? Now I am all alone.” Her hand was gently striking across a root next to her, but she didn't get an answer. Just the heat underneath her finger, proving that that Amberle was still there.

 

Wil left the palace the day after and with both of her friends gone she spent most of her time in the sanctuary. That way she could at least be close to one of them.

It quickly showed that she was the only one who felt something when she touched the Ellcrys. Allanon said that he could feel the magic of the tree but that was about it. Everyone else could only see Amberle when Eretria placed her own hand over theirs when they touched the tree.

 

Many months went by and Eretria had decided she wanted to stay in the palace. King Ander had made her part of his council and with Cephalo being the troll leader and her being a rover they had managed to get all the races to agree to a peace agreement. There were still over the Four Lands scattered clans that refused to live according to the alliance, but King Ander was sure that they would come around at some point.

Wil and she wrote each other letters in which he told her about his training about becoming a healer and promised her to visit her and Amberle as soon as his apprenticeship was over.

She spent her free time with the Ellcrys. Her hand slowly stroking across the bark while she was reading in her shadows. She told her what was happening in the kingdom and in Wil's life. Quite often she was joined by Catania. The blonde girl spent a lot of time with her in the sanctuary and may days went by with the two of them sitting in between the roots of the tree reading to Amberle or just talking to her her.

Eretria had no more visions, but everytime she touched the Ellcrys she could feel Amberle beside her.

 

The day before the anniversary of Amberle sacrificing herself her the Four Lands, Eretria spent alone in the sanctuary. The others hadn't been around in a while, even Catania. She had explained her that it was too painful. The memory of the lost princess was still taking it's toll on them and only Eretria could feel her.

She was woken by rays of sunlight tickling her face and the orange leaves above her head told her she had fallen asleep underneath the tree. Her head was still resting on the book she had been reading yesterday. It took her a few moments to get her stiff body to sit up and stretch. The cold stone wasn't necessary something you could call comfortable.

“Morning princess.” Her hand found its way onto the tree bark and nothing. No warm feeling was heating her fingers, no pulsating in the beat of her own heart.

The panic was already washing over her in big waves, threatening to drown her. Quickly she placed both her hands on the root. “Amberle?” Still noting.

Then a groan rang out from behind the root with the door behind it.

With a few quick steps she ran around it and found someone laying on the floor. The person was sleeing and dressed in red leather. Brunette hair was spread wildly around the head and when the person shifted and turned around Eretria's glance fell onto their face. Amberle.

 

The number of dreams she had of Amberle had been too many to count. Most of her dreams of Amberle had been of memories from their travels to Safehold. Occasionally there had been a dream about Amberle never being forced to sacrifice herself. The dreams of Amberle returning had always been painful. Days that had started with this dream ending had been dreadful. Eretria had always been miserable and even the touch of the Ellcrys couldn't stop her pain. But somehow this dream felt different.

Gently she knelt down next to the girl and stroked a strand of her hair out of the girl's face. The touch of the soft skin of her cheek under her fingers felt so real that Eretria's breath got caught in her throat. Amberle stirred under her touch and her eyes opened. At first her expression was soft and bit confused, but then suddenly her eyes widen and two strong arms are wrapped around Eretria's neck. The strength of the hug took her breath away and she was too stunned to return.

When Amberle pulled back and looked at her Eretria could see that she had started to cry. Her own vision was blurred by tears as well.

“Eretria.” As the word echoed through the room and she could see Amberle's lips move, Eretria suddenly realized that this wasn't a dream. Amberle was really sitting in front of her.

She breathed in sharply and could only wrap her arms around Amberle again. The girl let out a surprised laughter, apparently she hadn't expected her to hug back and then both girls were holding each other tightly, tears rolling down their cheeks.

It took them almost an eternity to let go off each other, but they never allowed their bodies to loose contact.

As Amberle tried very unsuccessfully to wipe away her tears Eretria watched the girl not being able to believe that she was really in front of her. When Amberle had tried her cheeks she took Eretria's hands in hers and intertwined their fingers.

“You are really here?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Yes, I am really here.”

Hearing Amberle's voice again finally broke her strength to keep quiet and she started rambling. “How are you here? What about the Ellcrys? What happened? How.. How are you here?”

The smile that Eretria had missed so much appeared on Amberle's face.

“When I first went into the bloodfire, I was brought to a place were time didn't exist. I was told that I was the seed and had to sacrifice myself for the tree to live. But in that moment I couldn't accept that. I couldn't leave you and Wil and my family. I was told I had doomed my soul. But as I did step into the tree and allowed it to live again. But I wasn't the right seed anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn't gave up what I loved in the bloodfire. I was still carrying it as I stepped into the tree. My longing for these things takes strength from the Ellcrys.”

Eretria's mind was spinning, too overpowering the presence of the princess and the amount of knowledge about Amberle and her sacrifice too confusing.

“The Ellcrys decided to allow me one day a year to return to this world.”

“One day?” Her voice was filled with sadness and apparently Amberle noticed. She quickly took her face in both hands.

“Hey, hey. At least I get to come back to you. Even if it's just for a day.”

Eretria could already feel how new tears were forming in her eyes.

“Come back to me? What about Wil? And Ander? Catania?”

“I love all of them dearly, but Eretria...” Her right hand was now cupping her cheek and her thumb slowly stroked across her skin. “You made me speak again. It was your touch that kept me bound to this world. It was your name the leaves whispered when the wind blew through them. You are the reason I am still here.”

Eretria was too stunned to answer, too overpowering the words that had left Amberle's lips and the feeling of her thumb on her cheek with every stroke nearing her lips.

When her thumb finally reached her lips, she felt her breath hitch and watched Amberle slowly come closer. Her eyes looking at Eretria's eyes only to wander down to her lips again.

And then everything was a blur. Amberle pulled her closer, her hands now on Eretria's neck, her fingers tangled in her hair. She felt how Amberle crashed her lips on hers. The movement of the girl's lips on her own sent shivers through her body. The kiss was full of desperation and hunger. Eretria could feel how Amberle's finger curled in her hair, slightly pulling on it.

As she felt Amberle smile into the kiss she could only wrap her arms around the girl's waist and pull her on her lap.

When the ache of their lungs for air was bigger than their craving for each other, their lips parted, but they weren't ready to let go of each other yet. Amberle rested her forehead against Eretria's as both girls breathed heavily a smile playing around their lips.

“I'm glad to be back.” Amberle's finger were drawing small circled on the back of her skull.

“I'm glad you're back as well.” Eretria smiled and Amberle closed the distance between them, placing a soft, innocent kiss on her lips. Her kiss was so full of promise that it took Eretria's breath away. She could feel her lower lip tremble in the kiss. Too long had she been waiting for her princess to return to her.

Amberle could feel Eretria's struggles. “Shht.”, she mumbled against her lips. “You got me now.”

As Eretria remembered a conversation between them she had to laugh and Amberle pulled away from her, looking at her slightly confused.

“I just remembered something.” Her eyebrow was cockily raised.

“Oh yeah?”

Eretria was sure her face looked really pleased and a smirk played around her lips.“Who would have thought? The princess and the rover.”

Hearing Eretria repeat her sentence caused Amberle to grin.“Shut up.”

Eretria felt a laughter escape her mouth and quickly kissed Amberle again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a one-shot for now, but if enough people want me to continue this, I have some ideas for a few more chapters.
> 
> If you have any suggestions or questions or just want to yell at me, come talk to me on tumblr.   
> http://lilucath.tumblr.com


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